Magnetic ball racker



Feb. 13, 1968 c. P. DEERING ETAL 3,368,810

MAGNETIC BALL HACKER Filed June 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 G I F B C...

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' MAGNETIC BALL RACKER Filed June 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 Q I 22 2,8 fl 20 III Pics. 7

. INVENTORS JAMES R MON/"MN CHRIST'GPHER R DEER/N6 United States Patent 3,368,810 MAGNETIC BALL RACKER Christopher P. Deering, 146 Chriswick Road, Brighton, Mass. 02135, and James P. Monahan, 69 Lonsdale St., Dorchester, Mass. 02122 Filed June 1, 1965, Ser. No. 460,343 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-11) The present invention relates to improved ball collecting and ball handling apparatus for use in connection with pool tables. More particularly, the improvement comprises a unit for use in connection with a subway system of ball return for collecting the balls within the rack and for conveying them and the rack as a unit from whence they are collected in a drawer or bin to the table top.

The objects of this invention are:

To provide a device for racking the ball off of the? player must bend over and reach into the drawer or bin wherein the balls are returned to obtain them and rack them for the game.

To eliminate some of the hazards of breaking and chipping of balls due to the player dropping the balls while conveying them from the bin to the table top.

To provide a device for racking the ball off of the surface of the table and thereby to increase the wear life of the cloth used for the table top.

To provide a simple and safe mechanical ball racking device.

Other objects will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent from the description and the drawings in which is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

With these objects in view, the invention resides in the novel feature of providing a tray adapted to be accommodated within the bin, upon which means are provided for holding the triangular rack; and by providing means for selectively magnetically holding the apex of the rack suspended at a distance above the tray so that the balls may pass under the apex and into the triangular rack as they are returned to the bin. When the rack is filled, the magnetic connection is broken and the balls are confined Within the rack and upon the tray. The tray with rack and balls thereon may then be lifted out of the bin as a unit by the player and may be placed upon the table top, and the rack with balls therein may be removed from the tray and positioned on the table.

These and other features of this invention will best be understood by referring to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is set forth in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view partly broken away of a pool table and equipped with the ball device involving our invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the drawer or bin section of the ball return of the table shown in FIGURE 1, with tray and rack magnetically engaging an iron or other magnetizable bar which is mounted above the drawer to permit the pool balls to roll beneath the apex of the rack.

FIGURE 3 is a cut away side view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2, and showing a ball entering the rack beneath the apex thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a cut away side view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2, and showing the rack filled with balls and the magnetic connection between the rack and bar broken.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a section of a pool table with the tray thereon holding the racked balls, and showing the racked balls which have been removed from the tray onto the table top.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the tray. 7

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view along line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the novel rack of our invention.

Referring to the drawings, in FIGURE 1 there is shown a pool table 10 having a top surface 11, a center chute subway return system 12, including a drawer or bin 14. As shown, the center chute subway return 12 leads directly into the bin and extends under the table as shown by the broken lines. Each pocket 13 has a means of com munication for the balls 17 to pass from the pocket to the chute.

In accordance with this invention, a substantially rectangular tray 18, which is preferably made of /s inch to /8 inch hard cast acrylic resin plastic material, is provided to be accommodated with the bin 14. As shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7, this tray is preferably provided with a gradually sloping forward edge 20 to facilitate the balls 17 rolling onto the tray as they enter the bin 14 from the chute 12. Tray 18 is also preferably provided with means 22 such as handles to facilitate the player's lifting the tray from the bin 14 to the table top 11 and for replacing the same into the bin. The tray is of suflicient size to hold a triangular rack member 24 when the apex corner 26- is facing the chute and the side opposite the apex corner 26 is substantially parallel with the front edge 20. Stops 28 are preferably provided for holding the rack in position on the tray so that the same will not roll off of the back edge 30 of the tray 18. These stops are located adjacent the back edge 30 and engage the side corners 32 of the rack. These stops consist of small preferably angular projections extending upwardly from the tray and permanently fastened thereto and having an angular opening of sufficient size to accept the outer surface of the rack within them.

The details of the rack 24 are shown in FIGURE 8. The rack 24 consists substantially of an equilateral triangular form most commonly made of wood and of sufiicient depth to accommodate 15 of the balls of the size used for the particular table. In accordance with the embodiment of our invention, a magnetic element 34 is affixed to the apex corner of the rack, this element having sufficient magnetism to hold the apex 26 off of the tray when the side corners of the rack are resting on the tray. The magnetic element 34 may consist of a permanently magnetized bar embedded in the apex 26 as shown, or it may consist of a plate suitably magnetized and fastened to the apex 26.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4, the tray 18 with rack 24 is placed within bin 14 with the apex 26 thereof facing the return chute 12 and with the tray corners 32 engaging stop 28. An iron or other magnetizable bar 36 is positioned above the drawer and above the apex 26 and holds said apex above the tray 18 a distance such that the balls 17 pass onto the tray 18 and beneath the apex 26 and into the rack 24. There are of course many suitable ways of positioning the bar above the tray. One of these is shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 and comprises standards 40 which are made of some suitable material such as wood or plastic and which are fastened to the outer side Walls of the drawer and extend upwardly therefrom. As shown, these standards are apertured to accept bar 36 which is positioned in the aperture and held there by a suitable fastener such as the nuts 42.

As the balls 17 are returned through the chute 12, they pass over the sloping forward edge 20 of tray 18 and under the apex 26 of the rack 24. The balls tend to align themselves within the rack, and when the last ball is in place within the rack 24, the magnetic connection is broken by the player pressing down on the rack. The apex 26 falls onto the tray, as shown in FIGURE 4 and the rack 24 and tray 18 contain the balls. The tray 18 with rack 24 thereon completely filled with balls 17 is lifted out of the bin 14 and is placed as a unit upon the table top 11. The rack 24 is then manually urged forwardly away from the stops 28 and onto the table top 11. The rack 24 is then removed from the balls which are now assembled in triangular formation on the table top.

The rack 24 is replaced on the tray 18 and the tray is returned to the bin 14. The apex corner 26 is lifted so that the magnetic element thereof engages the bar 36 and the player proceeds with the game. As the game proceeds, the balls 17 are returned to the chute 12, whence they pass into the rack 24.

For the purpose of this specification, we have described the embodiment of our invention wherein the apex corner of the triangular rack is fitted with a magnetic element of the permanent magnet type and where the bar is an iron or other magnetizable bar to which the magnetic element attaches. It will of course be realized by those skilled in the art that the apex 26 may be fitted with an iron core and that the bar may be a permanent magnet. Also, in lieu of permanent magnets, electromagnets may be used in the apex of the rack, or an electromagnet may be substituted for the bar 36. Of course, when an electromagnet is used in lieu of the bar 36, a switching means is provided on the table 12 for activating and de-activating the same. And, when an electromagnet is used in lieu of the permanent magnet 34 in the apex corner 26, the rack is provided with means for activating and deactivating the same.

Having thus disclosed our invention, we claim:

1. A ball collecter and racker device for pool tables having a subway return system and ball collecting bin, which comprises in combination with such pool table, a triangular ball rack, a tray for positioning within the bin for supporting the rack and for conveying the same with balls therein from the bin to the table, means for selectively magnetically suspending the apex corner of the ball rack at a distance slightly in excess of the diameter of the pool ball above the tray in the bin, while maintaining the other two corners at substantially fixed positions on the tray so that the balls as returned to the bin pass under the apex corner of the rack which is suspended, and into the rack until the rack is filled, whereupon the magnetic suspension is disengaged and the tray and rack are removed from the bin and are placed on the table.

2. A ball collecter and racker device for pool tables having a center chute return system which comprises in combination with a pool table having a subway return chute and chute bin for receiving the returned balls, a triangular racking member with apex and side corners, a portable tray for positioning within the chute bin for conveying the returned balls and triangular racking member from the bin to the table, means for positioning said triangular rack member on said tray so that the apex corner thereof is substantially adjacent but is in substantial apposition with the return chute, a metallic bar, means for positioning and affixing said metallic bar immediately above the end of the chute which enters the bin and at a distance of slightly more than the diameter of the pool balls, and means for selectively magnetically engaging the apex corner of the rack with the metallic bar.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the means for selectively magnetically engaging the apex corner consists of a permanent magnet affixed to said apex corner.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the metallic bar is a permanent magnet and the apex of the triangle includes a metallic element which is attracted by said permanent magnet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,230,059 6/1917 Andrews 273-11 2,534,770 12/1950 Holmes 27322 FOREIGN PATENTS 730,584 3/ 1966 Canada.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner. 

2. A BALL COLLECTOR AND RACKER DEVICE FOR POOL TABLES HAVING A CENTER CHUTE RETURN SYSTEM WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION WITH A POOL TABLE HAVING A SUBWAY RETURN CHUTE AND CHUTE BIN FOR RECEIVING THE RETURNED BALLS, A TRIANGULAR RACKING MEMBER WITH APEX AND SIDE CORNERS, A PORTABLE TRAY FOR POSITIONING WITHIN THE CHUTE BIN FOR CONVEYING THE RETURNED BALLS AND TRIANGULAR RACKING MEMBER FROM THE BIN TO THE TABLE, MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID TRIANGULAR RACK MEMBER ON SAID TRAY SO THAT THE APEX CORNER 